IT Sligo has launched Ireland’s first online professionally accredited honours degree in Quantity Surveying.
The prestigious course is the result of a new partnership agreement between Institute of Technology, Sligo and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors / Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (RICS / SCSI).
It is the latest initiative in IT Sligo’s online distance learning, which crowned its national leadership of flexible third-level delivery with An Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award for 2012.
More than 1,500 students are enrolled on the Institute’s part-time programmes, of whom two-thirds study online. Many log-in for their live classes from abroad, some from as far afield as Canada, Africa, Australia and the Middle East.
The new BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying add-on degree is expected to add significantly to the numbers signing up for IT Sligo’s online delivery programmes.
The two year part-time programme begins in September. Its flexible delivery includes live web-cast classes and each module also has its own webpage, enabling easy communication between students and lecturers.
The web-cast classes are also recorded so that students who are unable to take part in the live sessions can access them at any time.
The course, which offers graduate students a broad base in professional quantity surveying skills, has been designed in close liaison with employers, practitioners and professional bodies to ensure that it meets current workplace needs.
Leigh McLoughlin, IT Sligo’s on-line programme coordinator, says: “This innovative programme provides flexibility to the graduate student, especially in terms of when, where and how they study. It is designed to provide the competencies that the new graduates will require as they progress their careers nationally and internationally.”
He added: “The need for quantity surveyors is vital for efficient cost management of construction projects. The current economic climate means the quantity surveyor’s role is in high demand as both public and private clients require value for money and greater cost certainty on all construction activities.”
Trevor McSharry, Head of Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at IT Sligo, says: “This significant achievement is possible because of our robust and effective on-line delivery methods, coupled with our high academic and professional standards.
“The new part-time on-line offering will attract construction professionals internationally who are based in industry and already have an ordinary degree but want to upskill to an honours degree on a flexible basis without any unnecessary commuting.
“The course will help them to get internationally recognised as Chartered Quantity Surveyors following successful completion of the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).”
Caption for photo above: Leigh McLoughlin, IT Sligo’s on-line programme coordinator, fine tunes the launch of Ireland’s first online professionally accredited honours degree in Quantity Surveying.